brainerd



K. BRAINERD.

FAN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I7, I9I9.

Patented'Apr. 5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A as ATTORNEY K. BRAINERD.

FAN.

APPucATloN HLD Novfw. 1919.

1,373,480. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

K. BRAINERD.

` FAN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l?, 1919.

1,373,480. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOE s ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

KENNETH IBRAINERD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FAN.

Application led November 17, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH BRAINERD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at .Rochesten in the county of Monroe and State of 'New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and to the Vreference numerals marked thereon.

This invention relates to fans and, more particularly, to the type of such apparatus having an automatic movement of they axis of the propeller for varying the direction of the induced air current so as to distribute its effects over a greater area, one object of the invention being to provide a simple, effective and convenient mechanism for' producing such movement of the propeller axis.

Another object is to provide an advantageous mechanism of the latter character, by a simple adjustment of which the propeller or fan axis may be either locked in stationary relation or given a plurality of different kinds of motion, as may be desired.

A further object is to provide eflicient electrical connecting means between the fan motor and a source of power for operation in conjunction with the above mechanism.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the'claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fan embodying the present invention with parts in section to show the construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a part of the electrical connections.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism for moving the fan on its support with parts broken away in section to show the construction.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position.

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the same. Y

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6a of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Api'. 5, 1921.

serial No. 338,427.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary the line P1-7a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view sectional view on similar to Fig. 6 but with the parts in a different position.

Similar reference characters throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

This invention, in one of the possible embodiments thereof, selected for the` purpose of a present disclosure to illustrate the principles involved, comprises a fan base, or support 10, Fig. 1, of any suitable shape preferably having iii the upper portion thereof a socket 11 in which is supported a hollow cylindrical member 12 having therein an annular shoulder 13 on which is supported a head 14 of insulating material, the latter being secured to the lower end of member 12 by means of countersunk bolts 15. Secured to the upper side of head 14 by means of bolts 16 is a lower bearing part 17 provided at itstop with a bearing surface 18 cooperating with a similar surface 19 on an upper bearing part 20, between which bearing surfaces are interposed roller bearing members 21. Each of the bearing parts 17 and 20 is provided with a central bore in which is fitted a sleeve 22 rotatable in the lower bearing part but fixed to -the upper part, as by means of a vset screw 25.A A thrust washer 24 adjacent the bottom of the sleeve maintains the parts in proper relation. lSecured to the'upper bearing part 20 by means of screws 25 is a plate 26 of insulating material to which in turn is secured, in any suitable manner, the lower portion 26L of the electric fan motor, the frame of which is indicated generally at 27.

The driven element or shaft of the motor is indicatedat 28, rotatably carried in bearings 29 on either side of the motor frame and having secured at one end the fan or propeller 30, as is usual in devices of this character employed for circulating air in' buildings. Secured to the motor frame in any suitable manner, on the side thereof opposite the propeller, ispreferably, a supporting housing 3]., having therein a recess 32, Fig. 6, receiving the rear shaft bearing 29. The latter is elongated and serves also as a bearing for a spindle 33, carried in the housing, the adjacent ends of the spindle and motor shaft being 'formed with coperating shoulder-portions 84 serving asa clutch connection which is readily engaged and disengaged by longitudinal sliding movement of spindle 33 in the housing. rlhe latter extends through a bore in the housing communicating with recess 82 and the spindle is provided adjacent its center with worm threads 36 beyond which the spindle is enlarged to form a bearing portion 37 slidably fitting a. correspondingly enlarged portion of the bore. @utside the housing the spindle carries a knurled linger piece 33 and a spring actuated detent 39 coperating vwith spaced sockets Il() in the spindle serves to accentuate and retain the spindle in two positions of longitudinal adjustment corresponding to the engaged and disengaged positions of clutch portions 311. A screw t0n in the housing engaging in a' seat 40h 1 in the spindle, prevents inadvertent movement of the latter beyond its proper positions.

Located in an opening in the top ot housing 3l, Fig. 6, and meshing with worm 36 is a worm wheel il preferably lined on the upper end of a spindle l2 extending` vertically downward through and below housing 3l, Figs. 3 and 4l, where the spindle has fixed thereon a gear i3 adapted to mesh in one position of the mechanism with a gear 44C rotatably carried by a. spindle i-5 entend ing vertically upward through and lougitudinally slidablein a bore in the housing.

vGroar all, is adapted to mesh in turn with a wide facer gear i6 rotatably carried on a stud i7 on the housing and gear i6 also meshes with a stationary gear 43 carried by the upper end of member 12 of the support. Rotatably carried on spindle l5 and spaced from the gear 4A thereon by moans of a sleeve i9 is a gear 56 adapted also to mesh with wear 46 when brought to such position, and provided with a pin 51 pivotally carrying one end of a lin-lr 52, the opposite end of which is pivotally aud-slidably Y carried on a pin 53 in gear 4:3, pin 5l being at a greater radial distance from the center of its gear than. the pin 53.

The means for moving the spindle Ll5 longitudinally to bringone or the other oli gears i/1'- and 50 selectively into mesh with gear 416v comprises a recess 5d, Fig. 7, in the housing. in which isslidably carried a sleeve 55 through the closed lower end oli which slidablypasses a reduced portion 56 at the upper end ol? spindle 45, the portion 56 having at its upper end a head 56, which, with the bearing in 'the lower end ot sleeve 55, guides the sleeve for longitudinal sliding movement on the spindle. Coiled about the reduced portion of the spindle within the sleeve and betweenthe closed end of the latter and the head of the spindle is a com pression spring 57, opposing which is a similar compression spring 58 outside the sleeve and acting between the latter and the longitudinally, and a spring actuated de.

tent 59 cooperating with sockets 60 in the sleeve serves to accentuate and retain the latter in two positions or longitudinal ad justment corresponding to the two positions. of spindle l5 which place one or the other olf gears elfi and in mesh with gear Pin 60ZL in the housing engaging groove 66h in the spindle limits movement of the latter. As shown in the drawings gears da and 5l) are sulhciontly spaced from each other so that but one at a time may be brought to mesh with gear 46 and the longitudinal adjustment o sleeve is adapted by the spring means described to apply a yielding pressure to spindle 45 to move the latter and flaring the desired one of its gears into mesh with gear e6, the yielding connection allerded by the springs permitting the spindle to be shifted at any time regardless of the rela tive positions ot the gears with reference to registry, as they will be held in Contact,

it not in registry, until registry occurs and will then slip into mesh.

rlhe housing is provided about the lower endospindle 45 with a recess 6l adapted to receive the upper gear when the lower one is meshed with gear i6 in the position shown. in Fig. 3.

rlhe operation oi the above described gearing is obvious ltrom the description ot its construction. With finger piece 38 moved inwardly and with sleevefl depressed, gear del; meshes with gears i3 and L16 when in registry therewith, while gear. 56 is in idle position and in this relation ot the' parts movement oi linger piece 33 inwardly engages clutch parts 34 so that the motor shaft, through the train of gearing described, rotates gear i6 and continuously rotates the motor frame and fan axis on the support, so that the lian progressively directs its current oil air in all directions radially of the support as is desirable in cases where the 'fan is located adjacent the center ol a room. When sleeve is moved to its upper position gear le is moved to Aidle position and gear 50 brought into mesh with gear li6 or to such position that it will be moved into mesh therewith automatically as soon as it rotated into registry. Link 52 converts the rotary movement of gear i3 into oscillating` movement oli. gear 50, and the latter ot course imparts a similar movement to gear 56 and therefore'oscillates the tan on `its support so that the current of air driven by the fan sweeps through a sector ot' a.

circle only, as is desirable, for example, when the fan is located adjacent a wall or other obj ect in a room.

When` it is desired to hold the fan in a stationary operating position on its support to lOO llO

maintain its current ofA air in one direction, finger piece -38 may be pulled to its outermost position, therebyY disengagi'ng its. spin-` dle from the motor shaft. Wrorm 36 in this position of the parts is no longer driven but, however, remains in mesh 'with the worm gear and locks the latter, being itself held in position by the detcnt 39 engaging its spindle. 1n this adjustment, with either o-f gears 44 or 50 in active position gear 46 is locked Vin-position and, by reason of its engagement with gear 48 on the support. effectively locks the fan frame in stationary position on the support. A

Electrical connections are provided for the motor, through its support or base, adapted for continuous rotation of the fan and comprising preferably a conductor 62, Fig. 1, from the motor connected with. one of the screws 25 so that the conductor is electrically connected with bearing parts 17, 2O and 21 and through the screw 16 of the lower bearing part with a conductor 63 in the base. tion 64 is fixed to the upper end of a conducting rod 65 secured in a sleeve 66 of insulating material fixed in the sleeve 22, the rod extending below the latter into a recess between the lower bearing part and insulating head 14, where its rounded lower end is engaged by a spring plate or brush 67 connected at its other end with a bolt 68 extending through head 14 and having connected to its opposite end the other conductor 69 which with conductor 63 passes downwardly through an outlet sleeve 70 of the member vl2 into the bottom of the base from whence it is carried downwardly or laterally in the manner usual in such machines.

The above described electrical connections permit indefinite rotation of the motor on its support and, furthermore, not only oppose a minimum of resistance thereto, butl by reason of their construction are subjected to the least amount of wear and deterioration and replacement of parts.

The train of gearing shown at the bottom of housing 31 may of course be inclosed within the latter if so desired. The construction of the parts is simple and effective and the means for controlling the operating connections between the motor and its support may be conveniently manipulatedL to impart to the motor and the propeller axis either variety of movement desired in order to distribute the current of air as surrounding conditions may require, or to lock the motor in stationary relation to its support so that the air is driven continuously in a single direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a support, a motor rotatably carried thereby having a shaft, operative connections between said motor The other motor connecand support connected with said shaft for actuation by the latter, controlling means for said operative connections secured to the motor and support and adapted to selectively effect either positive oscillating or coinplete rotary actuation of said motor on said support, and adjustable means for disconnecting said operative connections from said shaft and immovably securing said motor to said support.

2. The combination of a support, a motor rotatably carried thereby having a shaft, and operative connections between said motor and support actuated by said shaft comprising shiftable gears for selectively effecting either oscillating or continuous rotary movement of the motor on the support.

3. The combination of a support, a motor rotatably carried thereby having a shaft, operative connections between said motor and support actuated by said shaft comprising shift'able gears for selectively effecting either oscillating or continuous rotary movement of the motor on the support, and adjustable means for discontinuing said operative connections and immovably securing the motor to the support.

4. rllhe combination of a support, a motor rotatably carried thereby having a shaft, operative means for completely rotating the motor on the'support comprising a train of gears connected with the latter and actuated by said shaft, and adjustable means for substituting for one of said gears a second gear oscillatingly driven by said shaft.

5. The combination of a support, a motor rotatably carried thereby having a shaft, operative means for completely rotating the motor on the support comprising a train of gears connected with the latter and actuated by said shaft, adjustable means for substituting for one of said gears a second gear oscillatingly driven by said shaft, and electrical connections for said motor adapted for continuous rotation thereof on the support.

6. The combination of a support, a motor thereon bearing surfaces rotatably supporting said motor on said support, means for continuously rotating said motor, a contact rod carried by said motor concentrically with said bearing surfaces, a coperating contact on said ,support engaging an end of said rod, and electrical connections between said support and motor comprising said bearing surfaces and coperating contacts.

7. The combination with a support of a blower and means for causing the axis of the blower to either oscillate or continuously rotate on said support, said means comprising. a driving member and two rotatable driven members slidably mounted, a common spindle for said two driven members, a link operatively connecting one of the driven members with said driving member, and a third rotatable driven member with which the first mentioned two driven members selectively cooperate to produce rotation or oscillation thereof.

8. The combination with a support7 of a blower mounted thereon, a frame for the blower, means for selectively rotating, positively oscillating, or immovably securing the blower and frame on said support, said means being secured to the frame and Coinprising a rotary slidable clutch member se- Vcured to the frame.

9. The combination with a blower, of a support therefor7 and a driving mechanism :for producing either a positive oscillation 'or rotation of said blower on its support,

said mechanism comprising a slidable member for changing from rotation to oscillation or vice versa.

l0. The combination with a blower,`of a support therefor, a frame for the blower movable therewith on the support, and gears carried by said frame and shiftable to positively rotate or osoillate said blower.

KENNETH BRAINERD 

